Tuckaleechee Caverns

Fun little thing to do while you are in Tennessee and affordable too. I was a little taken aback that it was sort of in the back end of a store but once we got in, it was pretty cool. The tour was just the right amount time, and everyone was friendly. Some parts of a but precarious looking, but the formations are pretty cool. When they shut off all the lights if so eerie just how black it got. Overall I had a good time, I would recommend

If you haven’t been to caves or caverns, then this is the place to go.
All the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. They offered us several tips of places of interest that we should visit.
On the cavern tour, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. He was funny, friendly, and interesting. He took us on a tour that was far beyond our expectations.
We were able to take photos of amazing sites.
A must do if you’re in Tennessee.

This is an awesome cave and a great tour, well worth the price. The tour takes about 75 minutes or so and is more fun in smaller groups later in the day. The tour winds through some smaller passages along side a stream to one huge room, then back through to a small waterfall.
This really is a must-​see on any visit to townsend.

So much fun! It was very quiet when we went to visit the caverns. We found out that next week (mid November) they close until spring time. We were lucky enough To be in a small group of 8. All of us from Florida ironically enough. Spencer our tour guide was very knowledgeable and he took his time with us. A lot of walking and stair climbing. Make sure you wear the appropriate food wear! You think you’ll need a jacket but most likely you won’t. All that walking and climbing is bound to make you sweat. All the wiring and cinder blocks everyone keep complaining about, calm down. How else are you supposed to light something sufficiently when it’s family owned! The cinder blocks, step stools were around for quick fixes of lights that have gone out.
The gift shop is what I call grandma knickknacks. Very expensive. $ 25 for a shirt?! Cmon.

The trip to the caverns were so worth it. They were beautiful and the best ones we seen. We are so glad we went and highly recommend them to all cavern lovers.

If you’re in the area definitely make this a half day destination. Amazing cave with lots of cool formations! Privately owned and staff was very friendly. Our guide was an older gentleman and said he first entered the cave at 16 yrs old. Wear sensible shoes and bring an empty bottle to collect some of the pure water running through!

Fun experience. The staff seems very friendly. The tour down through these caverns was very casual-​the person who took us down shared a bit if history about how the caverns were found as well as some info about the environment and cavern structures. The tour was about showing the natural state of the caves-​there were lights so we could see, but it wasn’t over-​done. It was worth checking out.

The website seemed mild mannered but it was absolutely worth the trip. You’re looking at a good 1 – 2 hour trip thru some incredible subterranean landscape. Certainly one of the better cave systems I’ve visited, a gorgeous underground river with waterfall pass along much of the pathways. My only regret is that only ½ mile of the 4 mile system is open to the public.

Nice cave system, tours last one hour. There is a lot of different cave formations and interesting things to see. You do have to be patient as you wait for different tour groups to pass though the cave on busy days, but they move well. The gift shop is a fun treasure trove as well.

Summary:
I am glad we stopped, it was worth it since we were in the area. I won’t be back because there is nothing left to see.
Negative :
It would have been great if only a few things changed. We had 37 in our group. The guy taking tickets told our tour guide he had 28. Because I was at the end of the group I had the unspoken charge of constantly answering the question, «is that everybody?» Exposed wire and hundreds (throughout the cave) of cinder blocks and poorly placed light.
Now the positive:
Our tour guide was great. He let us take our time and enjoy the pieces we wanted to see. All 37 in our group. About 10 minutes in about 6 or 7 people decided to sit and wait for us to return from other areas. So if you are winded, you have hope.
There are a few formations throughout the cave. All beautiful. Mostly running water and rock.
I’m listing this as a positive because it is for some people, but personally don’t agree with it, you get to touch some of the «dead» formations. I’ve always been told formations can go «dormant» but never dead. I’m not an expert and getting to touch a formation is pretty cool for some-​and I don’t own this facility. :)
FYI: the main set of steps there are only 87. This is a small cave, you can thoroughly see and spend plenty of time with every aspect of it within 1 hour 15minutes. It’s fair for the price. Watch out for overcrowding on tour groups.
Check out the photos.

Really enjoyed this i had never done anything like this before and was so glad we took the time. It’s best if you have your walking shoes on. And if you get cold easy be prepared it was 58° in the cave.

On our last day of our vacation we took a trip to the Tuckaleechee caverns. It was amazing to see such a huge cavern beneath the ground! Our guide Brian was incredibly knowledgable about the cavern and kept us entertained with tales along the way. We definitely recommend this for your next trip to the smoky mountains– a unique and special experience.

The caverns themselves are really neat to go through. Our family of four really enjoyed them. The staff is friendly, fun and informative. Our tour guide was good, funny and pleasant to be with. Don’t let the older buildings fool you when you pull up — the place is well maintain and clean. How the caves were discovered and who owns them is worth the experience itself… but I won’t ruin that for you. :) I would definitely recommend this. It takes about 1.5 hours to experience.

Great little side trip when going to the park. We had a great tour guide. I will say I was very disappointed to see confederate flags for sale in the shop; that hate is uncalled for.

Really enjoyed our visit to the caverns. At first when you pull up, you may think that this is not going to offer much but do not let the rather plain looking building put you off, as below that, is the entrance to once of the most spectacular underground cave systems that you will get the chance to see.
The entrance fee is a little expensive but worth it to experience these caverns. Be prepared to do some walking and climbing a lot of stairs, so if you are not in the best of shape or health, you might want to reconsider.
On a hot day, the cool temperature of around 60 degrees, is a welcome relief and even in the winter times, the temperature is still about the same.
The guide who will lead you, is very knowledgeable and will answer any question you ask.
All in all, a attraction well worth your time to visit.

Wow! This is one of the coolest caves I have ever been in! There’s A LOT of stairs so prepare for that. We were all pretty tired afterwards. There are low ceiling areas so be very careful! Our tour guide was the best! Her name was Lauren and she knew all about the cave! She answered any questions we had, took pictures of families, told us which parts of the cave we could touch since it was no longer active, and even let us grab a rock from the «beach» area of the cave. Probably the coolest thing is she actually explores the caves so she climbed up into this one area to show us just how big the cave structures were! This was the most interactive cave I have ever been to. I felt like I was actually exploring a cave rather than just walking through it. I recommend going here 100%!!

This was my first time in a cavern, and what a cool experience it was! We arrived just after they opened, and ended up being the only ones on our tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, and there was plenty of time for pictures and questions. He even took several pictures for us at different spots in the cave. We learned all about the boys who discovered the cave as well as basic things that occur in caverns. Since this was my first visit to a cave, I found all of that information very interesting. It lasted about 75 minutes and the pace was very relaxed.
The light show in the big room was fun, highlighting the different structures, and experiencing what a cave is like with all the lights off was another level of darkness I’ve never before experienced!
There are steps and handrails throughout the cave, and enough lighting to see. It is not wheelchair accessible. Most people should be able to do the tour, it is not too strenuous and there are a couple of breaks and places to sit. If it has recently rained, you can even try the water!
I thought this was a fantastic experience. I am looking forward to checking out other caves now that I know they are all a bit different. If you are in the area and looking for something fun to do, this a place you should definitely stop and see.

THIS IS COOL.
So, when my family said they wanted to go to a cave I honestly didn’t have very high expectations. Tuckaleechee Caverns was AMAZING. I loved how there is a guide to take you through and talk to you about the cave. A special touch, we told our tour guide that the little girls were scared so we told them that there were fairies in the cave. The tour guide totally played to it, pointing out fairy dust and fairy homes throughout the tour. It REALLY helped!
This cave is enormous and there are lots of twists and turns. This is truly a miracle of nature and a must see when in the Smoky Mountains area. If you are thinking about it, do it. It is pretty incredible.

Cited by my 12-​year-​old as her favorite thing on our Pigeon Forge/​Gatlinburg/​GSMNP trip — and that is saying something! Much larger, more impressive cave than I had expected with stunning formations and very well done, thoughtful public access improvements. Even a «non-​caver» will feel safe and secure in here. The hour-​long tour was the perfect length and amount of walking/​stairs. Not too strenuous for most able-​bodied people, I would think. A nice variety of things to see, too: stalactites/​stalagmites, crystals, bat poop, underground stream. Fun that we got to taste the naturally filtered water, too! Loved hearing the history of the cave and the area from our very local guide. Loved supporting a family owned-​and-​operated business. Worth the drive.
TIPS: bring a water bottle to fill from the underground stream. No kidding. And bring a sweatshirt! No matter the temperature outside, it is always 58 degrees in a cave. Those without long sleeves were regretting it.

This cave was absolutely beautiful. The tour was longer than I expected and we loved every minute. We were told we could drink the water as it’s purified by the mountain and so of course we tried it. It was so fresh and crisp. Bring a water bottle to fill!!!
Our guide was informative and concerned for everyone’s safety. There were a lot of stairs and places where you have to crouch to get through. I wouldn’t recommend this to older people who have difficulty walking or going up and down stairs. But it’s a great place for families with kids.